Perfect Day

 I bought two pieces of anti-pill fleece yesterday, Purple for Rosie and Pink for Bonnie.  I purchased 6 yards of each (it was on sale at $4.99 a yard!).  I got two coolers for Bonnie out of her 6 yards, or I can make a quarter sheet  out of it.  Rosie I will only get one, I've got to sew the two 3 yard pieces together for it to be wide enough to fit over her.  I'll take pictures once I've finished them.

It was over 70 degrees today, so I took a vacation day and went to play with my ponies.   Now that Rosie stands very nicely on lead line, ground tied or with the lead tossed over her withers, it's time for her to learn to stand tied.  So today was all about cross ties.  It's not that she doesn't cross tie, or tie to a post, or trailer.  It's that when she's decided she's been tied long enough she just leaves.  Either busting her halter, the ties, or if the object I've tied her to will move, she pulls it along with her.

Today in the cross ties, I left her to gather my grooming box, then after grooming, I left her while I put that away and got my tack.  I was deliberty being very slow, taking my time.  She never moved !!

Tacked up and rode all over the property.  I also schooled for quite a bit on forward.  I wanted forward and balanced trot, a nice marching medium walk, and good free walk.  Then I cantered!  I'm still having some mental issues, so I'm making a point of when I ask for it, you give it to me.  If I trot after 10 steps, 15 steps, 20 steps, one circle, so be it but you better get your butt into it when I ask.  More important No.Bucking.

Her canter is AWESOME!  I have to learn to ride it, it is so HUGE and POWERFUL, but smooth and balanced!  I've never ridden a canter on a horse as big as Rosie and I can barely steer beyond simple circles, but I'm doing it.  I was giggling at myself because I remind myself of a little kid learning to ride a bike.  They often forgot to steer because they are concentrating so hard on balance and peddling.

Rosie was very sweaty, so I cooled her out riding around the entire property again.  There are lots of scary things, like chickens in the coop, sheep, swimming pools, cars, etc.  She looked, snorted but stood when asked on loose rein.

I gave her bath today too.  Last of the winter most likely.  She was perfect, didn't move one step in the cross times so she got a reward of some hand grazing on the greenest grasses.